Land Preparation

Prepare the land to a good tilth during March by ploughing or digging. On receipt of pre-monsoon showers in April, prepare beds of 1 m width 25 cm height and of convenient length with spacing of 40 cm between beds.

Seed Materials

Whole or split rhizome with at least one healthy sprout is the planting material in kacholam. Select well developed healthy and disease free rhizomes. Rhizomes can be stored in cool dry place or pits dug under shade, plastered with mud or cowdung. Two weeks before planting of the new crop, smoking the rhizomes by spreading it on Glycosmis pentaphylla ('panal') leaves is practiced in certain localities.

Planting

Take small pits in the beds in rows with a spacing of 20 x 15 cm and at a depth of 4-5 cm and plant rhizomes with at least one viable healthy bud facing upwards. One hectare requires 700-800 kg of seeds.